Proceed with Caution

Math has never been at the top (or even close to the top) of my “favorite school subject” list. EVER. I used to be pretty good at it, earning easy “A’s” back in the days of pre algebra and geometry. And then I hit the dreaded torture known as calculus, and it was all downhill from there. Don’t even get me started on last year’s statistics class. I thought stats was all about fun things, like “what percentage of my blog readers would rather be running than reading blogs right now, but must control their obsession and thus if they can’t be running, they’ll read about running instead?” (my guess: 85%). I was very misinformed. Statistics class was a blur of what I am still convinced was completely made up numbers. And my “hip, young” professor (a PhD, the same age as me, made me feel pretty lame) tried to relate statistics to the real world using football. Specifically, college football, which only confused me even more.

Numbers have never really been my thing, until I started this marathon training cycle. Now I look forward to the numbers. Each mile added to the scoreboard (aka dailymile), each second off of my time, each beat per minute my heart rate drops. What percentage is my weekly mileage increasing by? It’s so exciting. And I’m such a running numbers nerd. Perhaps it because I’m still a relatively new runner, but I get such a high off of knowing “oh yeah, I just ran an EASY 8 miles, no biggie”. I still remember clear as day when one mile was stretch. The numbers motivate me to run even faster and further.

But as excited as I am , I’m finding myself a bit nervous. Hesitant. I know I’ve compared marathon training to relationships before (say it with me now in your best 8 year old voice: “if you love it so much why don’t you marry it?”) but I’m going to do it again. Have you ever entered a new relationship, and everything was going SO well you couldn’t help but think “okay, so what am I missing? This is too good to be true!” Will I get an overuse injury? (Does he have a crazy ex girlfriend)? Am I going to burn out mentally? (Does she have 35 cats living in her apartment)? Basically, I’m 3 weeks into training, and everything is going SO WELL I can’t help but wonder if my body can handle it.

As I’ve mentioned probably a million times in here already, I’ve never run a 100 mile month. That’s right, I’ve run 4 full marathons and never, ever, not once, put in a 100 mile training month. Believe me…I’m not bragging. As a result of such half a$$ed training, I ended up walking the majority of the second half of all 4 marathons, and somehow managed to eek out my PR of a 4:37 in the first one (beginners luck). I’ve also never done a training run past 18 miles. And I didn’t even run that entire time, I believe that was back in my Galloway days. So basically, Saturday’s training run of 15.03 miles of never stopping to walk (ok we paused about 3 seconds at an intersection) is a record for me. And I felt fantastic. Legs were a little tired, but I certainly could have kept going.

Let’s take a look at a beautiful microsoft paintbrush/cut and paste from dailymile rendering of this year’s training.As you can see, it hasn’t gone so well. In fact I only hit 500 running miles for the year YESTERDAY. With only 47 days left in 2010. It has been quite the adventure though.

So what am I scared of ? The unknown. Can my body handle 100+ miles a month? How about 4 in a row (because that’s where I’m currently headed). Am I built for distance running? Are my legs going to protest and give up on me?

Comments

There is definitely something to that whole “training” thing. LOL. I half a$$ed trained for my marathon and paid the price in the second half. Lots of walking and pain. I know better, I do. For whatever reason I think I can get away with not putting in the time. So dumb. I trained right for my 2nd marathon, it felt great… You can do it. Just make it happen – you be glad you did!

You have done quite well for half a$$ed training. For me, I have found that slow increases in miles and speed have been the key. Plus, trusting your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. Take an extra day rest. Ice, stretch and massage the aches. You can do this!

You are awesome. 500 may not seem like a lot to you, but as a new runner…you’re my idol! 🙂

My current plan for “no burn-out” is to mix it up and make sure I have other forms of cardio on my “off” days. My current go to activities are Zumba and Yoga, although I’m learning to love Yoga because my body desperately needs the stretching from the miles!

I’m excited that your training is going well. Just take each day for what it is!

It’s important to be proactive–massage, foam roller, the stick, ice baths, comp socks (pretty much everything JBM said) along with listening to your body and not upping distance and intensity at the same time. But it’s also important to know that injuries, overuse or otherwise, are going to happen; they’re just a part of long distance running. However, that’s no reason to train in fear. If something happens, it happens, but don’t let the “what ifs” effect your training.

I was running 80+ mile weeks and 300+ mile months for the first time my last training cycle. I am now sidelined due to plantar fasciitis. But before the PF took me temporarily out, I ran a 13 minute PR, went sub-3 and won $1000 at Detroit (2nd place), all of which might not have happened if I’d let the “what ifs” (believe me, I had ’em) keep me from pushing my training limits. Yeah, it sucks to be hurt now, but I know that, like all running injuries, this too will pass and I’ll be back in the game soon enough.

You can handle it, and as a result, you’re going to rock your marathon. I have no doubt.

OMG great post. I worry all the time if an injury is just around the corner and if my legs can really keep this up. I use ice baths when I can make myself, I use compression socks after runs religously, I use a foam roller and I try and listen to my body. If something is really bothering me I back off for a week. I have also in the past 6 mnths taken out runs over 27 miles, in place of the longer runs I run back to back to back 20-30 mile days (the 30 mile day is a 20 in the AM and 10 in the PM). The shorter runs but back to back really seem to help with wear and tear. I am so excited for you Heather. I can’t imagine you won’t smash the 4hr barrier on this one. wooot woot. Cheering for you from Tejas.

You amaze me!!! I am training for my first full which happens to be in about 25 days….and I have run over 100 miles the last 3 months. I had the same concerns. I thought my body would fall apart! Surprisingly, I feel better and stronger everyday! I can not imagine what kind of time you would crank out if you upped your mileage! You are obviously an amazing runner already!

I’ve always considered myself to be a smart person but I have NEVER felt as stupid and clueless as I did when I took statistics!! And I took it online, which only made things much, much worse and my professor could never quite dumb things down enough for me on the phone! so you aren’t alone there 😉

I have never run any crazy long miles…just that 10-miler last week. And my I iced my knees and took the next two days off! If I had a better bathtub, I would have taken a bubble bath.

Sometimes, no matter how well you train and how careful you are (the proactive thing), physical burnout just happens mostly because life happens. Maybe physical burn out can be avoided, but I’m still trying to figure out how to avoid it, myself. My only thing is to not train in pain. I know, DUH, but it gets me in trouble.

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Meet Heather

I'm Heather, mom of two, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, and an overzealous athlete who cannot focus on a single discipline, so I train for all of them at the same time. When in doubt, I run...and then write about it. Read More…

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